In music, the core values, depending on genre, appear to be love, money, and drugs. And while these are popular topics and are responsible for producing countless hits and forming the basis of Billboard 200 albums I'm getting tired of my vocally-talented idols wasting our time with worn-out concepts that can be found in billions of other tunes. I'm tired of hearing R&B ballads about heartbreak, eccentric songs about just dancing, getting the green light, popping or cracking bottles, or smoking. I continually find myself questioning the innovation of today's artists. If I could make a suggestion: try mesmerizing your audience with the world around them.
What I mean to say is, as bands and singers are creating popular culture with their productions, they are undermining it by not recognizing current events and surroundings in their works. Personally, when I think of a cultural song, I immediately hum "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. The entire song is a timeline of the 1950s until sometime around the 80s. Every line refers to a certain year, capturing valuable memories and historic events. If somebody were to skim a 20th century history book and write a song, this is how it would turn out.
Now, I'm not suggesting we do exactly what Billy Joel did. That would be horrible and lazy thing to do. But culture can also take a philanthropic message. "Where is the Love?" by the Black Eyed Peas featuring Justin Timberlake makes a younger demographic aware of future global and social struggles ahead of us. Basically, the song expresses an urgent need for humanity, a message that has become inferior until Al Gore. To hear such thoughts, especially from people in the entertainment industry, is truly refreshing.
2008 also put light on politics and made us realize how much progress we didn't make under Bush. Will.i.am certainly took the initiative of praising our president when he recorded "It's A New Day". Nevertheless, at the same time, he also inspired more optimism in a young audience ready for "change." And I have to congratulate Young Jeezy for rapping about our economic struggles in his album, The Recession. It's remarkable to hear a hood figure educated on the nation's financial woes. What's even more interesting is to devote an entire album to struggles outside of love, specifically when it comes to government and the economy. Hopefully, Jeezy has set a precedent for future singers everywhere - you can rap about money, but make your cash-hungry lyrics meaningful.
However, you could argue that anything besides love, money, and drugs hasn't won over society yet. How many culture-based songs have reached the Billboard Hot 100 or the iTunes Top 100? Well, if you think carefully, Asher Roth's hit single, "I Love College" isn't particularly based on those concepts, although it certainly includes them. The reason why I believe the song has been so successful, is because it paints vivid imagery of a common scene. College parties, a huge part of pop culture, is rightfully recognized and brings light to more than just breaking up with a girl. And even though Asher Roth has been criticized by nearly every person I know (even by my fav basketball blog, FreeDarko, who referred to him as a "gimmick") I began to appreciate him more after I saw his interview with Billboard.
(Some) British bands knew how to compose songs that were about more than just love ballads or illegal substances. As I was shuffling through my iPod, I came across "Revolution" by the Beatles which reminded of me of "Where is the Love?" except with more rage. Another tune that comes to my mind is a bit more philosophical by the Kinks, "This Time Tomorrow". Part of the chorus goes, "This time tomorrow, where will be?" Indeed, the future is a quite intriguing prospect. People don't seem to dwell on this issue too much, but when we think of the future we generally ponder it for a long time before changing subjects. Also, in the same way the song could be a graduation theme it could also be played at a retirement party.
I also believe that music artists should try and be more like visual artists - focus on their habitat. Randy Newman did this very well with "I Love L.A.", creating such a legacy that it is now the anthem of Lakers victories. Tupac also shaked things up with "California Love", which explains the intricacies of this Golden State. And for the East Coast, Frank Sinatra documented his love for New York with the infamous "New York, New York". And more recently, Estelle and Kanye teamed up to produce an international hit with "American Boy." This is one of the more danceable and popular songs about the world's geography and major cities, so kudos to Kanye and Estelle. So, future artists, if it worked for Tupac and Kanye, it will work for you.
Lastly, the main reason I was inspired to write this post was because of "We Made You", the resurgence track of Eminem's career. After coming out of his hiatus, he has hit all pop culture notes with his newest single. Very funny lyrics on Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan, as well as satire when it came to Sarah Palin and a variety of other topics. In addition to making fun of numerous celebrities, Slim Shady has managed to use tabloids to his advantage in making a chart hit.
In conclusion, artists shouldn't entirely forget about common concepts, like lust and clubbing, but rather, also look to pop culture and their surroundings for an inspiration.
